Adverse CV Events Up Post Failure of Fertility Therapy

TUESDAY, March 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Failed fertility therapy may increase risk of long-term adverse cardiovascular events, according to a study published online March 13 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.

The researchers reviewed data on 28,442 women under age 50 — the average age was 35 — who received fertility treatment in Ontario, Canada, between 1993 and 2011. All of the women were followed through March 2015 to see if they developed nonfatal coronary ischemia, stroke, transient ischemic attack, heart failure, or thromboembolism.

The researchers found that 32.9 percent of the women gave birth within one year of their final fertility treatment. Failed fertility therapy was linked to a 19 percent increased risk of cardiovascular events later in life among the women in the study.

“Fertility therapy failure was associated with an increased risk of long-term adverse cardiovascular events. A potential increase in cardiovascular events may become increasingly relevant with broader utilization of fertility therapy and longer follow-up,” the authors write. “More informed decision-making around reproductive technology requires an awareness of potential risks and the need for continued long-term clinical care.”